(Alliance News) - Tuesday's session once again opened with negative signs for the main European markets, as all eyes remain fixed on developments in the Middle East, after the US and Israel's attack on Iran triggered reactions across the entire region.
The Mib is down 2.9% at 44,942.32 points, the Mid-Cap falls 2.5% to 57,116.14, the Small-Cap contracts by 2.3% to 35,140.75, and Italy Growth opens lower by 0.8% at 8,550.80 points.
Other markets are also in negative territory: the CAC 40 is down 2.2%, the DAX 40 by 2.8%, and the FTSE 100 by 2.0%.
On Piazza Affari, Lottomatica Group – leading the pack with a 5.4% gain at EUR21.54 per share and the only gainer in the index – released its consolidated financial statements, reporting turnover of EUR44.70 billion, up 14% from EUR39.2 billion in 2024, driven by online growth which reached 22% for the year, standing at EUR945.5 million.
Total net profit for fiscal year 2025 was EUR186 million, compared to EUR101.2 million in 2024. The proposed dividend rises to EUR0.44 from last year's EUR0.30.
Nokia Corp announced it will partner with the Brazilian division of Telecom Italia Spa to modernize the company's 5G network nationwide. TIM shares are down 3.5%.
Enel is down 4.1% amid daily selling, as Flavio Cattaneo's term nears its end. The outgoing board is recommending shareholders confirm the current leadership, given the achievements, but is also suggesting a possible expansion of the board.
Stellantis, down 4.7%, is growing at twice the national average, with a 28% increase in February and a market share climbing to 34%. The group's sales podium is dominated by Fiat Pandina, Jeep Avenger, and Fiat Grande Panda.
STMicroelectronics is relaunching its Lombardy hub with an investment plan of USD6.1 billion by 2034. The strategy, outlined by manager Fabio Gualandris during a meeting between Mimit, the Region, and unions, aims to make Agrate the technological heart of microchip production. The stock is trading down 4.7%.
The battle for the renewal of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena's board is heating up, with the stock down 4.7%.
The nominations committee has yet to finalize the "short list" of twenty names to present at the April 15 shareholders' meeting. Despite pressure, a decision has been delayed: discussions will continue in the coming hours to reach a conclusion by Friday, the last deadline before the board meeting.
Leonardo is down 0.2%, Eni by 0.6%. At the bottom is Unipol, down 5.8% at EUR19.08 per share.
On the Mid-Cap, PharmaNutra has signed a new distribution agreement for France and Switzerland with French multinational PiLeJe, a leader in the nutraceutical market. The stock is down 2.6%.
MAIRE – down 5.1% at EUR13.69 – announced that its subsidiary Tecnimont Spa has secured an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contract worth approximately USD1.3 billion for a petrochemical project.
Ariston Holding is down 4.5% at EUR4.686 per share, while SOL posts a modest gain – the only riser in the basket – of 0.2%.
On the Small-Cap, the future of Aeffe, a giant in the Romagna fashion valley owning brands like Moschino and Pollini, hangs by a thread between hopes of revival and an increasingly pressing liquidity crisis. Four bids have reportedly been received; decisions are expected by May. The stock is down 9.1%.
TXT e-solutions, down 2.5%, has, through the group's US subsidiary PACE America, completed the USD5 million acquisition of the SmartRoutes division from Nexteon Technologies, Inc, following the signing on December 23, 2025, and the fulfillment of conditions set out in the Asset Purchase Agreement.
Borsa Italiana announced that from today and until further notice, it will not be possible to place unlimited price orders on ordinary shares of OPS Retail, which are up 5.3%.
Softlab consolidates its gains and is up 8.3% at EUR1.245 per share, while Class Editori is at the bottom of the basket with a 6.0% loss.
Among SMEs, ErreDue – down 2.1% – has signed an international order worth about EUR800 thousand for the supply of an alkaline technology solution for hydrogen production, with a total capacity of about 0.5 MW, consisting of two modular units of about 250 kW each.
Circle – with potential losses of 3.1% – has increased its stake in Cargo Start Srl, a company active in the development and commercialization of innovative technology products and services for air cargo, reaching a holding of 86.44% of the share capital.
Matica Fintec, with no trading activity, announced that Costantino Usubelli has resigned as executive director for personal reasons with immediate effect. He will be replaced by Richard Aloysius Kane as non-executive director.
TMP Group, up 2.6%, announced the acquisition of a new contract in Spain in the food and beverage sector, linked to the participation of a major brand at the Alimentaria Barcelona 2026 fair, scheduled from March 23 to 26.
In Asia, the Nikkei fell 3.1% to 56,269.50, the Shanghai Composite dropped 1.4% to 4,122.68, and the Hang Seng lost 1.0% to 25,793.13.
In New York last night, the Dow Jones lost 0.2% to 48,904.78, the Nasdaq rose 0.4% to 22,748.86, and the S&P 500 closed down 1.1% at 25,768.08.
On the currency front, the euro is trading at USD1.1631 from USD1.1678 at Monday's European market close, while the pound is trading at USD1.3311 from USD1.3371.
Among commodities, Brent is trading at USD80.74 per barrel from USD78.00 per barrel on Monday evening, while gold is valued at USD5,301.34 per ounce from USD5,293.82 per ounce.
Among the main events on Tuesday's economic calendar, at 1555 CET FOMC's Williams will deliver a speech, followed by Kashkari at 1745 CET. At 2130 CET, weekly oil inventory data will be released.
Among companies, results are expected from Ariston Holding, Banco BPM, FinecoBank, Italgas, and Kruso Kapital.
By Michele Cirulli, Alliance News reporter
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